what is celestial body Related: Stars and the Solar System?
Celestial Body
A celestial body refers to any natural object that exists outside of Earth's atmosphere. These objects are found in the vast expanse of space and include stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and galaxies. They play a significant role in understanding the universe and its workings. Let's take a closer look at two specific celestial bodies: stars and the solar system.
Stars:
Stars are massive, luminous spheres of plasma that emit light and heat energy through nuclear fusion. They are essentially giant balls of gas mostly composed of hydrogen and helium. Stars are the building blocks of galaxies and are scattered throughout the universe, providing light and energy.
Some key points about stars include:
- Formation: Stars are formed in large clouds of gas and dust called nebulae. These clouds collapse due to gravity, leading to the formation of a protostar. As the protostar continues to collapse, its core becomes hotter and denser until nuclear fusion ignites, and a star is born.
- Lifecycle: Stars have a lifecycle that varies depending on their mass. They spend the majority of their lives in the main sequence phase, where they steadily burn hydrogen into helium. Eventually, they run out of hydrogen fuel and go through different stages such as red giant, supernova, and white dwarf or neutron star.
- Classification: Stars are classified based on their temperature, color, and luminosity. The most common classification system is the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, which categorizes stars into main sequence, giants, supergiants, and white dwarfs.
The Solar System:
The solar system is a specific celestial body that includes the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other smaller objects that orbit around the Sun. Our solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy and is a tiny part of the vast universe.
Some key points about the solar system include:
- The Sun: The Sun is a star located at the center of the solar system. It is the most massive object and provides heat, light, and energy to all the other celestial bodies in the system.
- Planets: There are eight planets in our solar system, namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets orbit the Sun and have various characteristics such as size, composition, and atmosphere.
- Moons: Moons are natural satellites that orbit around planets. For example, Earth has one moon, while Jupiter has dozens of moons.
- Asteroids and Comets: Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Comets, on the other hand, are icy bodies that originate from the outer regions of the solar system and have a tail when they approach the Sun.
Overall, celestial bodies like stars and the solar system provide a glimpse into the vastness and complexity of the universe. Studying these objects helps scientists understand the formation, evolution, and dynamics of the universe we inhabit.
what is celestial body Related: Stars and the Solar System?
The sun, moon, planets, stars, asteroids and meteorites, are celestial(or heavenly) bodies, in outer space.
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Class 6 study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Class 6.